The present invention is directed to the art of moisture detection systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an automated moisture detection system for monitoring the moisture content in the exterior walls or outer sheathing of commercial or residential structures and will be described with particular attention thereto. It is to be appreciated, however, that the present invention has a wide range of applications and uses such as, for example, in monitoring the moisture content in other components of buildings and for monitoring moisture in a wide range of manufacturing or industrial processes.
The present invention finds particular application in connection with buildings covered with cladding systems such as, for example, brick, metal or vinyl siding products. Most cladding systems are typically not designed to drain water that may unintentionally penetrate past the exterior cladding due to defective window construction improper installation, the lack of proper flashing, or the like. Such deficiencies may lead to certain moisture induced damage to the materials beneath the cladding system.
As a further concern, weather resistive barriers are typically not provided beneath the cladding on commercial buildings and are often installed incorrectly on residential buildings. Furthermore, cavities on certain drainable cladding systems may become plugged or otherwise disabled, leading to accumulated moisture with no means of discharge from behind the cladding.
The damage to the building materials behind the exterior cladding is most often hidden and therefore usually undetectable by outer visual inspection. After prolonged periods of moisture ingress and/or moisture retention, damage occurs, usually in the form of mold, rot, and dimensional instability. There is no known automated, reliable technique for periodically testing for
There is a need, therefore, to provide a system for detecting moisture in building components on a substantially continuous basis so that elevated moisture levels in the building materials monitored may be immediately discovered and appropriately addressed quickly before any significant damage to the building materials can take place.
It would further be desirable to provide an automated moisture monitoring system that includes a central control unit connected to a plurality of moisture sensors, each of the moisture sensors being disposed in a different exterior wall portion of the monitored structure. In that way, each wall of the monitored structure can be interrogated on a regular and substantially continuous basis by the control unit for generating suitable alarms or the like when the moisture content in any of the monitored building walls exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Still further, it would be desirable to provide a monitoring system that generates audible or visual alarms when elevated moisture levels are detected in at least one exterior wall of the monitored structure. In addition, an electronic modem communication circuit would be advantageous in conjunction with the control unit for transmitting the moisture alarm signal to remote locations such as, for example, to a commercial service that provides notification to the building owner followed by a communication to appropriate service crews to effect necessary repairs, or the like.